Boat hitch



Oct. 23, 1945'. c. 1.. RADICK 2,387,352

BOAT HITCH Filed Aug. 12', 1944 INVENTOZ mwmm Pat en ted Oct. 23., 1945UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE aoa'r m'rcn I Curtis L. Radick, New Berlin,Wis.

Application August 12, 1944, Serial No. 549,150 (Cl. 114,-230) 12Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in boat hitches, and moreparticularly to a devicejfor mooring a rowboat to a dock or pier.

It is the usual practice to hitch or secure howboats todo'cks, piers orwharfs by means of ropes or chains but these means do not prevent theboats so secured from rubbing or bumping against the piers or adjacentboats under the action of waves or wind.

With the above in mind it is, therefore, a primary object of the presentinvention to provide a simple and effective boat hitch applied between apier and a boat to secure the boat to the pier in a manner so as torestrain horizontal and lateral movement of the boat, but at the sametime permitting vertical and rocking movements of the boat occasioned bywave or wind action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat hitch anchored toa pier or dock and quickly releasably engageable with the standard oarlock sockets of a rowboat for mooring purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat hitch carried bya dock or pier and movably projectable therefrom for boat mooringpurposes or foldable under the pier platform in an unobtrusive positionwhen it is not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat hitch arm movablyconnected with a pier or dock for pivotal movement in a plurality ofplanes relative thereto, and removably, pivotally engaged with an oarlock socket of a rowboat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat hitch of veryinexpensive construction which may be easily attached to a pier or dock,which is quickly engageable with or removable from a standard rowboat,which is strong anddurable, which effectively restrains undesiredmovement of a moored boat while permitting rocking, rolling or othermotion imparted to the boat by weather action, and which is well adaptedfor the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of theimproved boat hitch, and its parts and combinations as set forth in theclaims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a rowboat showingan improved boat hitch applied to the rowboat and to a pier, there beinga fragmentary sectional showing of the latter;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a rowboat and pier with a pair ofthe improved boat hitches carried by the pier and engaging the boat formooring purposes;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the boat hitch in collapsed or folded positionbelow the platform of a pierwhen the boat hitch is not in use, theplatform of the pier being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line H of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the arm of aboat hitch and showing the ear lock socket pin carried thereby.

A standard rowboat 8 is provided along the inner margins of its oppositegunwales with spaced pairs of oar lock sockets 9. Opposite pairs ofthese oar lock sockets alternatively receive the projecting oar lockpins of rowing oars. When a rowboat is docked or brought alongside of apier, the oars are removed from the car look sockets 9, and a pair ofsaid standard sockets 9 along the same side of the boat are thenavailable for use in connection with the present invention.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the mooring of a rowboat 8 to a pier or dock I0is accomplished by the utilization of a pair of spaced boat hitches,both of which are permanently secured at their inner ends to a marginalportion of the platform of the pier III with the spacing between saidhitches corresponding to the distance between a pair of oar lock sockets9 on one side of a boat 8. Although a pair of the improved boat hitchesare used for the mooring of a rowboat, inasmuch as the hitches areidentical in construction, only one will be described in detail. Eachboat hitch comprises an angled attaching plate II secured to the sideedge and bottom surface of the plat form portion of a pier or wharf bymeans of bolts, as shown. Secured fast to the bottom of the attachingbracket or plate II is a tubular bearing sleeve I2 which rotatablyreceives within its bore a trumiion I3 having an angled extension I3 atits inner end. The forward end of the trunnion I3 is formed with an eyedenlargement l4 engaged in the forked extremity of a rigid arm I5 andpivotally secured thereto by a pin or bolt I6. From the arrangement thusfar described, it will be evident that the trunnion I3 may have turningmovement on a horizontal axis within the sleeve l2 and the arm I5 mayhave pivotal movement relative to the eyed extremity of the trunnion, sothat in efiect, multi-movement of the arm I5 is provided for. In use,the arm I5 extends horizontally outwardly and slightly upwardly from theside margin of the pier or wharf ID.

The outer end portion of the arm I5 is downthe mounting of the trunnionl3 in the sleeve I2 permitting this turning movement. Then, the arm ispivoted on the bolt l6 angularly inwardly until it assumes the positionof Fig. 3, being disposed compactly below the platform portion of thepier or wharf, and the socket pin l8 may be folded compactly inwardly.An important feature of the device, which permits it to retain thefolded position described, is the angled extension I3 on the trunnionl3. Said angled extension l3 will, when the trunnion and arm have beenturned, lodge against the undersurface of the bracket II and act as astop to prevent the arm I5 and boat hitch assembly from undesirablyswinging downwardly.

When a boat 8 is drawn alongside of the pier or wharf l and the oars areremoved from the oar lock sockets, then it is merely necessary to swinga pair of the boat hitch arms l outwardly horizontally and turn the sameon the trunnions I 3 to the position of Fig. 1. The depending pins l8are thereupon registered with the two oar lock sockets 9 and are droppedthereinto, as in Figs. 1

and 2. The mooring thus accomplished by a pair of boat hitches is suchthat the boat is efiectively secured against longitudinal horizontalmovement or against movement toward and away from the dock. Thiseffectively restrains the moored boat from rubbing or bumping againstthe pier or against adjacent boats, under the action of waves or wind.The pivotal mountings of the inner ends of the arms IS in relation tothe bracketcarried sleeves I2 is such that the boat, under the action ofwaves or wind, may rise and fall without placing any strain on the rigidarms l5 or the car lock sockets. The arm-carried pins l8 may retaintheir proper relationships within the sockets 9 due to the pivotalmounting of the upper ends of the pins. The revoluble mounting of thetrunnions I3 on a-horizontal axis permit the moored boat to rock in anend to end direction, which rocking may be caused either by wave actionor by the weight of a person stepping into an end of the boat, withoutactually shifting its longitudinal relationship.

The boat 8 is efiectively held relative to the pier or dock by the rgid'arms l5 against inward and outward movement and also againstlongitudinal movement. Said arms are sufficiently short so that a personmay step directly from the boat to the dock with the transfer being safedue to the fact that the boat is confined against shifting in eitherdirection. The boat hitches, being secured to the side of the boat. donot obstruct either end of the boat and the stem is left free for themounting of an outboard motor or for other purposes. No auxiliaryequipment or appliances with respect to the boat proper are required,inasmuch as the pins I8, carried by the mooring arms I5, engage directlywith standard rowboat car look sockets.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved boathitch is of simple and novel construction, is compactly andunobiectionably disposed relative to the side of a pier or dock, is oiinexpensive construction, and is well adapted for the purposes setforth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A mooring device for a standard boat having oar lock sockets,comprising a rigid mooring arm, means pivotally attaching one end ofsaid arm to a fixed support, and a connecting pin pivotally carriedbythe other end and engageable and disengageable with a boat oar locksocket.

2. A mooring device for a standard boat having oar lock sockets,comprising a rigid mooring arm, a bracket secured to a support, a jointconnecting one end of the arm with the bracket permitting revoluble andpivotal movements of the arm, and means pivotally and detachablyconnecting the other end of said arm with a boat car look socket.

3. A mooring device for a standard boat having oar lock sockets,comprising a rigid mooring arm, a bracket secured to a support, a jointconnecting one end of the arm with the bracket, said joint including apair of pivots whose axes are at right angles to each other, and meanspivotally and detachably connecting the other end of said arm with aboat car look socket.

4. A mooring device for a boat having oar lock sockets, comprising arigid mooring arm, a bracket secured to a support,-a joint connectingone end of the arm with the bracket, said joint including-a pair ofpivots whose axes are at right angles to each other, stop means on oneof the pivots engageable with the bracket for limiting movement of thearm in one direction, and means pivotally and detachably connecting theother end of said arm with a boat oar lock socket.

5. A mooring device for a boat having oar lock sockets. comprising arigid mooring arm, a bracket secured to a support, a joint connectingone end of the arm with the bracket, said joint including a pair ofpivots whose axes are at right angles to each other, a pivotalconnection at the other end of the arm, and a pin carried by saidpivotal connection and insertable in a boat oar lock socket upon aswinging movement of the arm in a vertical plane.

6. A mooring device for a boat having oar lock sockets, comprising arigid mooring arm, a bracket secured to a support, a joint connectingone end of the arm with the bracket, said joint including a pair ofpivots whose axes are at right angles to each other, a pivotalconnection at the other end of the arm, and a pin carried by saidpivotal connection and insertable in a boat oar lock socket upon aswinging movement of the arm in a vertical plane, the axis of thelastmentioned pivotal connection being parallel to the axis of one ofsaid joint pivots.

'7. A mooring device for a-boat having oar lock sockets, comprising arigid mooring arm, a bracket secured to a support, a horizontaltrunnion, means revolubly mounting said trunnion on the support, meanspivotally connecting one end of said arm to the trunnion, the arm whennot in use being foldable under the support, and a pin hingedly carriedby the other end of the arm and insertable into a boat oar lock socket.

8. A mooring device for a boat having oar lock sockets, comprising arigid mooring arm, a bracket secured to a support, a horizontaltrunnion, having an angularly directed extension, means revolublymounting said trunnion on the support, means pivotally connecting oneend of said arm to the trunnion, the arm when not in use being turnedand folded under the support with the extension engaging the bracket toprevent downward movement of the arm, and a pin hingedly carried by theother end of the arm and insertable into a boat oar lock socket for boatmooring purposes when said arm is extended outwardly of the support.

9. Mooring means for a standard boat having a pair of longitudinallyseparated car look sockets on one of its sides, comprising a pair ofdual-movement joint members secured to a support in longitudinallyspaced relation, a pair of mooring arms each having its inner endattached to a joint member, and an oar lock socket pin hingedly carriedby the outer end of each arm.

10. In combination, a boat having a pair of longitudinally separatedstandard oar lock sockets on one of its sides, a pier, a pair ofdualmovement joint members secured to side edge portions of the pier andspaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the distancebetween said oar lock sockets, a pair of rigid mooring arms each-havingits inner end attached to a separate joint member, and an car looksocket pin hingedly depended from the outer end of each arm and eachinserted in a separate oar lock socket for, boat mooring purposes.

11. A mooring device for a boat having oar lock sockets comprising arigid mooring arm, means for pivotally connecting one end of the arm toa dock including a joint at the inner end of the arm which provides forswinging movement of the arm in a vertical plane and rotative movementor the arm on a horizontal axis, and a pin pivotally suspended from theouter end of the arm and positioned to be engageable within one of theoar lock sockets when the arm is swung downwardly from a raisedposition, the joint at the inner end or the arm being constructed toprevent swinging movement of the arm in a lateral direction when it isengaged with a socket, the axis of pivotal connection between the pinand outer end of the arm being parallel to the axis for verticalswinging movement at the inner end of the arm.

12. A mooring device for a boat having oar lock sockets comprising apair of rigid mooring arms, means for pivotaily connecting one end ofeach of the arms to a dock including a joint at the inner end of the armwhich provides for rotating movement on a horizontal axis and forpivotal movement in a vertical plane when the arm is in operativeposition on an axis at right angles to the axis of rotating movement,and a pin pivotally suspended from the outer end of each arm andpositioned to be engageable within one of the car look sockets when thearm is swung downwardly from a raised position, the joint at the innerend of the arm being constructed to prevent swinging movement of the armin a lateral direction when it is engaged with a socket, the axis ofpivotal connection between the pin and the outer end of the arm beingparallel to the axis for vertical swinging movement at the inner end ofthe arm.

CURTIS L.

